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Summary: In this groundbreaking cookbook, chef AarÃ[3]n Sanchez explores the delicious food and exciting culture of the barrios€"the vibrant Latin-American neighborhoods from Miami's Little Havana and New York's Spanish Harlem to San Francisco's Mission, and the entire United States in between. These rich neighborhoods have spawned a new cuisine, melding tradition with experimentation, and taking advantage of locally available ingredients and modern cooking methods. This book is a celebration of that cuisine: not the painstakingly authentic dishes of the homeland, or the hypercreative chef-y inventions of fusion cuisine, but the comforting, delicious food that's enjoyed in home kitchens and mom-and-pop restaurants across the country, accessible to all cooks. Since a defining aspect of Latin-American culture is the variety in eating establishments€"from casual street vendors to upscale sit-down restaurants, the meal is defined as much by the place as by the dish€"La Comida del Barrio is organized by types of eatery: €¢Fondas, market stands, for soups such as Pozole Verde and Black Bean Soup €¢Paladares, home-kitchen restaurants, for hearty entrées like Chicken Fricassée and Carne Mechada (Shredded Beef) €¢Taquerías, street stands, for quick snacks that include tacos, tamales, gorditas, sopes, tortas, and other portable foods €¢Rotiserías, cafés, for roast meats such as Steak in Red Chile Sauce and Cuban Pot Roast €¢Comedores, restaurants, for sit-down meals with starters like Cactus Salad with Shrimp and main courses like Arroz con Pollo €¢El Mercado, the market, for sides such as Refried Black Beans, Roasted Corn with Chile-Lime Butter, and Stuffed Plantains €¢Panaderías, bakeries, for desserts that include Flan de Coco, Dulce de Leche, and Rice Pudding €¢Jugoerías, juice stands, for drinks like Batidos (tropical shakes) and Sangría